The present invention relates generally to imaging apparatus, and more particularly to palmprint imaging apparatus.
Imaging of fingerprints and palmprints has universally employed the method whereby ink is applied to the surface of the skin and then transferred to a paper medium for recording. The application of ink to the skin and the subsequent transfer to paper requires an expert skilled in the technique to produce high quality images. It is common for poor quality ink fingerprints and/or palmprints to be captured, mailed to forensic laboratories for analysis, and then rejected due to poor quality. Once rejected, the only recourse is to print the subject again, if still in custody. If a long period of time has elapsed, a potential felon may have been released. Therefore, alternatives to this method are desirable to improve the accuracy of the image and present the image in the form of data which may be rapidly communicated to locations remote from the point of image capture.
Electronic means for scanning fingerprint images have been developed to avoid the problems associated with use of the ink transfer method. Images are typically scanned, presenting a planar imaging interface to the finger and a fingerprint image is developed. The electronic signals associated with this image are then digitized, stored in digital computer memory, and processed for transmission or printing. Systems employing these means are in service in civilian and law enforcement systems throughout the world.
While the problems related to fingerprint imaging have been largely solved, palmprints are still developed using the ink transfer method. Means to electro-optically scan the palm have resisted development due to basic problems related to the large size of the palm, the limited size of CCD arrays that can image the large palm, and the high cost of supporting electronics to store and process the data present in a digitized palm image. Current standards promulgated by the Federal Bureau of Intelligence and other police agencies dictate a final resolution better than 500 pixels/inch for most print imaging applications.
Advances in imaging and scanning technology have minimized the problems cited above and attempts have been made to implement electro-optic palmprint systems. However, the techniques typically applied mimic those used for fingerprint scanning by using a planar surface with the optics design scaled to handle the larger images. Unfortunately, a flat surface is not amenable to good palmprint imaging due to the shape of the palm. When the palm is applied to a flat surface, a large portion of the palm center does not contact the surface. The center of the palm carries important information that may later be used to identify the individual.
An improvement over the use of a planar system for taking inked-transfer palmprints includes the use of a rotatable cylinder. A fingerprint card is attached about the cylinder, and an inked palm is then rolled along the card as the cylinder rotates. While the resulting palmprint is of better quality than the print from a planar system because the center of the palm contacts the cylinder, it is not possible to image the heel of the hand.
Information on the heel of the hand (the area immediately below and adjacent to the smallest finger) is often inked and transferred as part of the palmprinting process. Typically this is done with planar ink transfer methods by inking the heel and the palm, and then applying the palm face-down on the card. The hand is then rolled onto the heel, much like rolling a fingerprint. The rotating cylinder ink transfer method images only the surface of the palm with no possibility of rolling the hand onto the heel while the cylinder rotates.
In each of the ink transfer methods for palmprinting described above, the use of ink impedes the ability of the palmprinter to consistently develop high quality images. Ink is messy, difficult to properly apply to the skin, difficult to transfer to a card without smear, and time consuming. Additionally, since the final product is only a card, it must be physically transported to others for analysis, requiring more time. The present invention overcomes the above-noted and other limitations of the prior art.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of imaging an individual's palm.
It is a further object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of imaging the heel of an individual's hand.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a print imaging apparatus which provides both palm and heel information as part of a single image.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.